Friday March 23, 2007
By CHRISTINA LOW
christinalow@thestar.com.my
Photo
by AZMAN GHANI
CREATING greater awareness among first-time parents of children
with Down Syndrome and promoting their acceptance in society are the
objectives for World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) this year.
“This special day is set aside every year to pay tribute to the
community of people who have Down Syndrome,
“With greater public awareness of Down Syndrome, people would
have a better understanding of the condition. Down Syndrome patients
are just like anyone of us and have equal opportunity rights, too,”
Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation (KDSF) National Centre chairman Tee
Han Cheong said during the launch of the World Down Syndrome Day
celebration recently.
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|
Down but not out: Hang Chuen Wern, 10,
narrating a short excerpt from a
poem. |
Themed “Celebrating
Diversi-ty”, the event at Pantai Medical Centre was opened by Toh
Puan Ena Ling.
Also at the event were Pantai Medical Centre chief executive
officer Choy Wah Wei, KDSF president Lee Kuan Yong, and more than 80
children, parents, caregivers, volunteers and hospital staff
members.
The event also featured an exhibition on Down Syndrome, talks and
early intervention programmes as well as performances by children
from KDSF.
Eugene Wong, 32, who has Down Syndrome, said when he was younger,
there was no place where children with the condition could go.
“My mother had to teach me at home to the best of her ability,”
said Wong, who completed his SPM examination and now works as a
clerical assistant at KDSF.
Tee also said it was fortunate that the World Down Syndrome Day
fell just before the signing and ratification of the United Nations
(UN) Disability Conven-tion on March 30.
Tee hoped that Malaysia would be one of the countries signing
this convention, as it would be implemented once it was signed by at
least 20 countries. Last year, the UN adopted the Disability
Convention, which covers rights to education, health, work and other
protective measures for people with disabilities.
Besides providing early education to children with Down Syndrome
from birth until the age of six, KDSF is planning to expand to offer
Advance classes for those above the age of six.
“The majority of children with DS would be assigned to a special
class in school, together with other children with different
disabilities, and it is difficult for the teacher to monitor each
child and understand their different needs,” said Tee, who has
started a pilot class for those above the age of six at KDSF’s
National Centre in Petaling Jaya.
The foundation has centres in Petaling Jaya, Johor, Klang,
Seremban, Malacca, Kota Kinabalu and Ipoh.
Source:
